GOP Senator Calls Biden's Response to Sinema Harassment 'Absolutely Galling'
Utah Republican Sen. Mike Lee spoke out in defense of Arizona Democratic Sen. Kyrsten Sinema after President Joe Biden said an incident of an activist recording her in a restroom was “part of the process.”
“It’s absolutely galling … It is not part of the process to assault a person like that,” Lee told host Maria Bartiromo during a “Mornings with Maria” Fox Business interview on Tuesday.
“To go into a restroom with someone filming them, and for him to defend this in any way, shape or form as part of the process is absurd,” the senator added.
Harassment is NOT part of the process. @MorningsMaria on @FoxBusiness pic.twitter.com/bNdh1t5iON
— Mike Lee (@SenMikeLee) October 5, 2021
Lee’s comments followed a response from Biden when reporters asked him about the incident involving Sinema on Sunday. The president called the activist recording the senator in the campus restroom “part of the process.”
“It is not part of the process… to go into a restroom with someone filming them. And for him to defend this in any way, shape or form… is absurd.”@SenMikeLee reacts to Biden saying Democrats confronted by activists is “part of the process.”@MariaBartiromo @FoxBusiness pic.twitter.com/tEi06RfhdW
— Mornings with Maria (@MorningsMaria) October 5, 2021
Lee also stood up for Sinema in a tweet on Monday after she released a public statement regarding the incident.
“Senator Sinema is a friend. I am appalled by this behavior. There is no place in civilized society for the type of harassment she suffered,” Lee tweeted.
Senator Sinema is a friend. I am appalled by this behavior. There is no place in civilized society for the type of harassment she suffered. https://t.co/7fLTDARfTJ
— Mike Lee (@SenMikeLee) October 4, 2021
Sinema responded Monday to the protester who followed her into the restroom, calling the action “unacceptable” and “unlawful.”
“Yesterday’s behavior was not legitimate protest,” Sinema said in the statement.
“It is unacceptable for activist organizations to instruct their members to jeopardize themselves by engaging in unlawful activities such as gaining entry to close university buildings, disrupting learning environments, and filming students in a restroom,” the senator added.
Statement Following Events at ASU on Sunday pic.twitter.com/4d3BF9P8CO
— Kyrsten Sinema (@SenatorSinema) October 4, 2021
Sinema later added that the actions were “wholly inappropriate.”
“In the 19 years I have been teaching at ASU, I have committed to creating a safe and intellectually challenging environment for my students. Yesterday, that environment was breached. My students were unfairly and unlawfully victimized. This is wholly inappropriate,” she said.
The recording originated from “Blanca,” a reported immigrant youth from Arizona, with more than five million views of the video on Twitter in less than 24 hours.
Auntie Feefa giving @SenatorSinema #GoodTrouble to demand that she pass the #BuildBackBetterAct so none of us have to fall into human trafficking due to lack of worker protections https://t.co/CDVzPfWNGT
— Auntie Feefa (@LakotaScientist) October 4, 2021
No charges have been filed in the incident.
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